The Art of Personal and Professional Development. The Management of Project You.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Paint Your House

Recently my wife and I decided to paint our home. For us it was really a no brainer. We just moved into our new home in September 2006. We just had a one year warranty inspection and all the settlment cracks and nail pops have been fixed. So we are in no particular hurry since we aren't planning on going anywhere. Doing the painting ourselves will allow us to maximize the earned equity since we are only paying for supplies. So far we've done a bathroom, the office, the sitting room and have started the stairway walls. I guess this puts us at less than 25% complete. This is no small undertaking, but we are finding that it can be a rewarding way to spend time together. If you are considering painting your house or a room yourself there are a few key things that I would recommend. First, consult an interior designer and pick a palate. We are fortunate that one of our best friends is a designer and picked all of our color schemes for each room. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is to the final product. I never knew there were so many considerations to make when picking colors! Second, use premium paints and brushes. We went with Behr paint, which was highly recommended by Consumer Reports. Behr is sold at Home Depot, so it's easy to find. The finish looks great and it is easy to clean. It's also a great value. Third, take the advice of those who know. Everytime I've gone to Home Depot the representatives in the paint department have given me priceless information. If they tell you to use a primer with a particular color selection, then I would suggest you listen to them.When each room is complete there is a sense of satisfaction that only comes from getting your hands (and most of the rest of my body) dirty. We're looking forward to being finished, but in the meantime we're enjoying working toward our goal. C'mon guys think about it... painting your house equals improving your home, increasing equity, and making your wife happy (except when you paint her arm accidently on purpose).... what's to think about ?